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CARPET SWEEPER.

(Application led June 13, 1898.)

(No Model.)

Inventor.

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UNITED STATES r PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES KING, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR OFONE-HALF TO WALTERE. MOORE, OF SAME PLACE.

CARPET-SWEEPER.

SPECIFICATIONforming part of VLetters Patent No. 619,580, dated February14, 1899. Application filed .Tune 1S, 1898. Serial No. 683,359. (Nomodel.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES KING, a citizen of the United States,residing at Grand Rapids, in the county of Kent and State of Michigan,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Carpet Sweepers, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in the mechanism for raising andlowering the case, pans, and brush of carpet-sweepers from the surfacebeing swept, so that the sweeper may be adjusted to sweep equally wellupon a hard carpet, as an ingrain or rag carpet, and upona soft carpet,as a Brussels or vel- Vet; and its object is to attain this result bythe simple change of position of the handle from one side of the case tothe other without exerting extra pressure thereon. I attain this objectby the mechanism illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which-Figure 1 is a section of a sweeper case shown in perspective and with myadjusting Fig. 2 is a modified view of the connecting-bars or yokedisconnected from the case. Fig. 3 is another modilied form of the same;and Fig. et is a vertical section of the end of the case, showing theconnection between the handle-bow and the yoke through the case.

Similar letters refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

In constructing my sweeper I pivot the handle-bow C to the ends of thecase A and pivotally connect a yoke, connecting-rods, or otherconnecting device, as B or B', therewith, the ends of which areconnected directly with the axletrees D,with no intermediate support, insuch a manner that the throwing of the handle-bow C to one side of thecase, as in the position of the solid lines in Fig. 2, will raise theaXletrees D, that support the wheels, and thus lower the case, dac.toward the surface being swept, while to throw the handle overon theother side of the case to the position of the dotted lines will allowthe aXletrees to be forced down, as indicated by the dotted lines inFig. 2, and thus raise the case, dac.

For connecting the connecting-rods to the ends of the handle-bow anyeccentric bearing, as c, may be used, and the connecting rods, cords, oryokes may be placed either inside or outside of the case, greater careand ner workmanship being, of course, necessary when they are placedoutside of the case. The manner of raising and lowering the case is asfollows: I prefer that the axletrees be supported by a'continuation of atorsionspring, as D, the supporting end of which passes out throughlarge apertures, as D', in the ends of the case to receive the wheels,(not shown in the drawings,) and the lower ends of the yoke orconnecting-rods engage these aXletrees near the ends of the case in amanner to support them suspended in the apertures D', so that the dangerof their coming in contact with the wood and creating noise and clatteris wholly averted, and the placing of the handle-bow upon one side ofthe case, as in the position of the solid lines in Fig. 1, will allowthe aXletree to drop to the lowest point, and the torsion strength ofthe spring being sufficient to safely support the case and itsattachments will raise the case, &c., from the surface being sweptsufficiently to compensate for the pressing of the wheels into the napof soft carpets, and the throwing of the handle to the opposite side ofthe case (indicated by the dotted lines in Fig. 1) will force theaxletrees, and with them the wheels, up, and thus allow the case andbrush to approach the surface being swept sufficiently to make the brushand pans eective upon hard carpets, &c. The broad surface at b isdesigned to give free lateral motion to the axletrees whenspring-axletrees are used, especially with the solid yoke, (shown inFig. 1,) as the natural inclination of the axletrees when being raisedis to approach the center and bear more heavily upon the brush-roll.

A casual glance at the drawings will show that I do not restrict myselfto any special form of connecting device. In Fig. 1 I have shown a solidyoke, in Fig. 2 I have shown the yoke B" divided at the pivot c, and inFig. 3 I have shown it constructed of springwire B', and I have foundthat even a piece of strong cord will serve the purpose well in anemergency; but with the forms shown in Figs. l and 2 it is necessary tomake use of the spring-axletree, while With a close connection aroundthe axletree, as indicated in Fig. 3, the aXletree-wire may pass looselythrough the case, as the action of the handle-bow will carry and supportthem in either position.

In constructing this sweeper I nd it cheaper and more convenient to forma large bearing, as C', to pass through the ends of the case and supportit and a small bearing or pin, as c, to receive and actuate theconnecting-rods or yokes.

h in Fig. 3 simply represents the modified form of connection with theaxletrees where no spring is used for actuating the axletrees.

I do not deem it necessary to show the pans, brush, or wheels of thesweeper, as my invention has to do entirely with the manipulation of theaxletrees and can be understood as fully without as with these parts.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new, anddesire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is-

l. In a carpet-sweeper, a case, spring-actuated axletrees supported insaid case, a handle-bow pivotally connected to the ends of the case,connecting-rods eccentrically attached to said pivotal bearings andthence directly connected to said axletrees without intermediate supportso that the throwing of the handle-bow from side to side will raise orlower the axletrees relative to the case, substan tially as and for thepurpose set forth.

2. In a carpet-sweeper, a case, spring-actu-A ated axletrees supportedtherein, a handlebow pivotally connected to the ends of the case,connection-rods eccentrically attached to said pivotal bearings andthence directly connected with the axletrees without intermediatesupport, so that the throwing of the handle-bow from side to side willraise or lower the axletrees relative to the case, and bearings at theends of said connecting-rods arranged to allow of a lateral movement ofthe axletrees therein, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

Signed at Grand Rapids, Michigan, June 7, 1898.

. CHARLES KING.

In presence of- ITHIEL J. CILLEY, WALTER L. ALLEN.

